FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of locking devices. In particular, the present
invention relates to a locking assembly for a helmet so as to secure the helmet
against theft.
BACKGROUND
Traffic safety regulations in most countries make it mandatory for two wheeler
vehicle riders to wear helmets. While helmets are necessary for proper
compliance with law, they serve the more important purpose of safety as on
two‐wheelers, unlike in cars where seat‐belts and airbags help ensure overall
10 driver and passenger safety in case of an accident, helmets are the only safety
apparatus which is directed primarily towards preventing serious head injury.
Additionally, helmets are also widely used by laborers and workers in a number
of industries for protecting one's head from any sort of accidental impact.
Helmets usually comprise a hard outer shell with a soft interior padding such that
15 the hard shell serves as a barrier to prevent direct impact to the head from any
hard object during an accident and the soft interior padding serves as a shock
absorber and lessens the intensity of impact to a large extent.
As good quality helmets are often expensive, theft of helmets is a common
problem, particularly if the helmets are left unattended or if not properly
20 secured. The problem is even bigger in case of open face helmets as due to the
inherent structural features of open‐face helmets, it is very difficult to lock openface
helmets onto the vehicles. Therefore, drivers often need to carry the
helmet along with them after reaching their destination. This causes massive
inconvenience to riders as helmets are often bulky and unwieldy and therefore,
25 it is not desirable to have to carry the helmet along when leaving the vehicle
parked or when finishing a construction activity.
Presently, there are several mechanisms known in the art for locking helmets.
For instance, a cable or chain may be used to secure a helmet against theft by
3
fastening a part of a fixed object such as a vehicle to a helmet. The most
commonly employed means of attaching the helmet to a part of a vehicle is by
running a locking cable/chain through a hole and a closed loop on some part of
the vehicle, before interlocking the ends of the cable/chain using a padlock or a
combination lock. However, the problem with such a locking device is an openin5 g
needs to be specially made in the helmet shell that forms the hole through which
the locking cable/chain can be passed. Especially for open face helmets which do
not contain a closed loop, creating a hole within the shell of the helmet causes
the helmet to become structurally weak, which affects the impact performance
10 of the helmet. Loosening of the outer hard shell, such as in case of a slight break
extended through the hole, can lead to a reduction in the strength and the
impact performance of the helmet and if the rider meets with an accident, the
lack of a strong enough helmet can lead to serious injury to the rider. Another
drawback associated with the provision of a hole is that there is unwanted
15 ingress of air/dirt/noise through the hole which causes discomfort to the user
while working such as to a construction worker while working on an active
construction site or to a rider while riding a vehicle at high speeds.
Another well‐known way of attaching the helmet to a part of the vehicle is by
way of the locking mechanism provided on the strap of the helmet. However,
20 this particular mechanism is a lot less secure, as it is very easy to cut a helmet
strap which is usually made of a synthetic/clothing material such as Nylon. Thus,
when using this mechanism for locking the helmet down, chances of helmet theft
increase manifold. There are a few other devices also known in the art, but these
usually involve using expensive, cumbersome and complicated helmet
25 attachments.
Therefore, it is well‐understood that the currently known mechanism to lock
helmets are not fool‐proof solutions which can ensure the safety of helmets from
theft without compromising on the safety provided by helmets. Accordingly,
4
there arises a need for improved devices/mechanisms for securing articles such
as helmets that are highly efficient and effective in minimizing the risk of helmet
theft while also keeping the safety features of the helmet intact. It is desirable to
have devices/mechanisms which are not only tamper‐proof but which also do
not adversely affect the structural integrity of the helmet5 .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the disclosed
invention in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed
description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the
10 scope of the claimed subject matter.
In view of the shortcomings of existing problems, as discussed in the background
section, it is apparent that there exists a need for developing an improved
locking structure that are non‐intrusive to the functionality of the helmet,
resistance to wear and tear and also cost‐effective. The present invention
15 addresses said problems and provides an inexpensive and efficient locking
assembly which is fixed in the outer shell of the helmet for securing the helmet
to thereby avoid the risk of the helmet from being stolen and thus permitting the
user to leave the helmet at the vehicle/site as desired.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a locking assembly for securing a
20 helmet, the locking assembly comprising a housing bracket, and a ring‐like
element having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the ringlike
element is secured to said housing bracket and the second portion is capable
of movement relative to said housing bracket. Further, the housing bracket is
fixed securely onto an outer shell of the helmet through a fastener.
25 In an embodiment of the present invention, the locking assembly further
comprises a magnet attached to an inner shell of the helmet. The magnet is
positioned so as to maintain said ring like element placed on the helmet.
5
In another embodiment of the invention, the locking assembly is positioned on a
lower portion of one side of the outer shell of the helmet.
In another embodiment of the invention, first portion of the ring like element is
attached to said housing bracket via an engaging means on the housing bracket.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the housing bracket is 5 fixed
securely onto the outer shell of the helmet through the fastener by inserting at
least one portion of said housing bracket into at least one slot on the outer shell
of the helmet.
In still another embodiment of the invention, second portion of the ring‐like
10 element is operatively adapted to be lifted to allow a cable to pass through said
ring‐like element to form a loop surrounding a portion of a vehicle so as to
secure said helmet to the vehicle.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the ring‐like element is one of a Dshaped
structure, a square shaped structure, a V‐shaped structure and a triangle
15 shaped structure.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the fastener through which the
housing bracket is fixed securely into the outer shell of the helmet is a rivet.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description.
20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a
part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present
disclosure in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout
the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
25 emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the
present invention. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be
6
construed as limiting the invention, but the possible variants of the present
invention are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages.
Figure 1A illustrates picture of an exterior part of a helmet including one of the
locking means known in the prior art.
Figure 1B illustrates picture of an interior part of a helmet including one of th5 e
locking means known in the prior art.
Figure 2 illustrates a locking assembly for securing a helmet, in accordance with
an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 3 illustrates a side position of the helmet including the locking assembly
10 secured in said helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
Figure 4 illustrates a side view of the helmet including the locking assembly, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 4A illustrates a cross‐sectional view of the helmet including the locking
15 assembly taken along the line A‐A’ of figure 3.
Figure 4B illustrates an enlarged view of the section B of the locking assembly of
the helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figures 5A, 5B and 5C illustrate exemplary variations of the shape of the locking
assembly for securing a helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the
20 present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following description of carrying out the invention is not intended to limit
the scope of the description to the precise form or forms detailed herein.
Instead in the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
25 specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
7
disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that the disclosed
embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.
Referring to figure 1A and 1B, a locking mechanism for helmets as known in the
prior art is shown. Figure 1A shows a view of an exterior part of the helmet with
a hole provided in the helmet shell itself, through which a cable may be pass5 ed.
Figure 1B shows a view of an interior part of such helmet with a hole provided
throughout the layers of helmet. This arrangement not only caused the helmet
to become structurally weak but also causes ingress of dust/noise.
The present invention provides a locking assembly, by means of which a helmet
10 may be safely secured to an object, in particular a vehicle, such as a motorcycle,
scooter, scooters, tricycles or bicycles. While the embodiments of the present
invention may be described in the context of a helmet used by riders of vehicles,
however, it should be appreciated that, where the context allows, these features
are also applicable to the vast majority of helmets of any kind, including, but not
15 limited to, a construction helmet, a safety helmet, a motorcycle helmet, a
scooter helmet, and a skull cap helmet.
The present invention describes a locking assembly for securing a helmet. The
helmet includes an outer shell and an internal lining of padding material to
protect the user against an impact/shock. In an embodiment, the helmet is an
20 open face helmet.
Referring to figure 2, the locking assembly 200 comprises a housing bracket 10
having an engaging structure 12 and an enlarged forward head 14 and a ring‐like
element 20 having a first portion 22 and a second portion 24. The locking
assembly 200 further comprises a magnet 30. In an embodiment, the ring‐like
25 element is a D‐shaped element. The locking assembly 200 may be made up of
any material essentially metallic so that the locking assembly may not be severed
by means of any sharp edged tool such as a knife. Particularly, the ring‐like
element 20 may be further made up of a metal essentially ferromagnetic so that
8
the ring‐like element is pulled by the magnetic force of the magnet and held in a
closed position i.e. on the surface of the outer shell, when not in use. Such an
arrangement achieves the sleek and flush fitting of the helmet. The magnet 30 is
attached to the inner side of the shell i.e. between the outer shell and the
internal lining of padding. The magnet 30 may have a specific minimum an5 d
maximum strength based on the requirement. In an embodiment, the magnet is
a permanent type neodymium iron boron magnet with pulling strength of N35
and a power range of 2000 GAU88.
The first portion 22 of the ring‐like element 20 is secured to said housing bracket
10 10 via an engaging structure 12 present on one side of the housing bracket 10.
The second portion 24 of the ring‐like element 24 is capable of movement
relative to the housing bracket 10. The second portion 24 of the ring‐like element
20 is operatively adapted to be lifted to form an opening to receive a cable so as
to form a loop around a fixed object.
15 The forward head 14 of the housing bracket 10 is mounted/integrated on the
outer shell of the helmet through a fastener 40. The second portion 24 of the
ring‐like element 20 is engaged with the engaging means 12 of the housing
bracket 10 before the at least one portion (forward head 14) of the housing
bracket 10 is inserted in the at least one slot on the outer shell of the helmet. In
20 a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing bracket of the helmet is
riveted on the outer shell of a helmet. As cutting of 3‐4mm shell is highly timeconsuming
and a very difficult task, moreover cutting the riveted area may result
in loss of protection to user’s head, therefore, riveting the helmet provides the
maximum protection. The rivet may be plated with nickel and the plating may
25 pass cast test for 24 hours.
Further, as shown in figure 3, the locking assembly 200 is present on a lower
portion of one side of the helmet. As shown in figure 3, the locking assembly 200
is integral part of the outer shell of the helmet such that the outer shell is
9
depressed to accommodate the locking assembly 200 within the shell. Further,
the second portion 24 of the ring‐like element 20, as can be seen, is adapted to
be moveable up and down to co‐operate with and receive a cable whereby the
helmet may be secured by forming a loop around the ring‐like element with the
cable and surrounding a portion of a 5 vehicle.
The method of using the locking mechanism includes winding a cable around the
fixed object such as a portion of a vehicle and passing the cable through the
second portion of the ring like element to form a loop surrounding the portion of
a vehicle so as to secure said helmet to the vehicle. The cable may be a metallic
10 cable. The locking assembly prevents removal of the helmet from the cable. The
cable may include a lock structure embedded on it at one end which is locked
with the other end of the cable after passing the cable through the opening
formed through lifting the second portion of the ring like element and a portion
of a vehicle. In one embodiment, the cable is a resilient cable constructed from
15 steel. In one embodiment, the cable is optional and the helmet may be locked by
way of a lock used directly into the locking assembly without using a cable. The
shape of the enlarged members can have many variations without materially
departing from the inventive subject matter.
Figure 4 shows a side view of the helmet including the locking assembly 200. In
20 other embodiments of the invention, the locking assembly may be present at
anywhere on the rear strip 50 or on the external plate 60 of the helmet. A cross
sectional view of the helmet including the locking mechanism taken along line AA
(in figure 4) is shown in Figure 4A. As shown in the figure 4A, the inside of the
helmet as viewed from the top is shown with the locking assembly residing on
25 the lower portion of side of the outer shell. The locking assembly is present in a
section identified as B in the figure 4A. The enlarged view of the locking assembly
as shown in section B is further shown in figure 4B. The magnet 30 is shown
adjacent to the locking assembly which maintains the second portion of the ring10
like element 20 resting on the outer shell. Figure 4B also displays a helmet
locking strip 70.
Figures 5A,5B and 5C illustrate exemplary variations of the shape of the locking assembly 200
for securing a helmet, including a D‐shaped structure, a square‐shaped structure
and a triangle shaped stru5 cture.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the locking assembly
described herein above helps in avoiding theft of the helmet without causing
intrusion in the design of the helmet so as to not affect the protection to the
user’s head. In one embodiment, the locking assembly as disclosed by the
10 present invention is such that the locking assembly cannot be tampered with and
hence providing a simple yet effective method of preventing theft of helmets.
The size, shape and type of the assembly and its components and materials for
producing thereof may vary according to the size and type of the helmet to be
manufactured as well as the lock.
15 It is to be understood that the above described embodiments are merely
illustrative of numerous and varied other embodiments which may constitute
applications of the principles of the invention. Such other embodiments may be
readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or
scope of this invention and it is our intent they be deemed within the scope of
20 our invention.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific
embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations
could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the
scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

We Claim:
1. A locking assembly (200) for securing a helmet, the locking assembly
comprising:
a housing bracket (10), 5 and
a ring‐like element (20) having a first portion (22) and a second portion
(24), wherein the first portion (22) is secured to said housing bracket (10) and
said second portion (24) is capable of movement relative to said housing bracket
(10),
10 wherein said housing bracket (10) is fixed securely onto an outer shell of the
helmet through a fastener (40).
2. The locking assembly (22) of claim 1 further comprising a magnet (30)
attached to an inner shell of the helmet, said magnet positioned to maintain said
ring like element (20) placed on the surface of the outer shell of the helmet.
3. The locking assembly (200) of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly (200)
is positioned on a lower portion of one side of the outer shell of the helmet.
4. The locking assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing bracket (10) is fixed
securely onto the outer shell of the helmet through the fastener (40), wherein at
least one portion of said housing bracket is inserted into at least one slot on said
20 outer shell of said helmet.
5. The locking assembly of claim 1 wherein said first portion (22) of the ring
like element (20) is attached to said housing bracket (10) via an engaging means
(12).
6. The locking assembly of claim 1, wherein the second portion (24) of the
25 ring‐like element (20) is operatively adapted to be lifted to allow a cable to pass
through said ring‐like element (20) to form a loop surrounding a portion of a
vehicle so as to secure said helmet to the vehicle.
7. The locking assembly of claim 1, wherein said ring‐like element (20) is one
of a D‐shaped structure, a square shaped structure, a V‐shaped structure and a
triangle shaped structur5 e.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein said fastener (40) is rivet.